FEEDING EFFICIENCY OF POLLEN SUBSTITUTES IN A HONEY BEE COLONY

The effect of use of two alternative feed supplies on brood rearing and honey production from the bee colonies during the spring season was tested. Two groups of 9 bee colonies each were established, where the control group was fed with Bee Food, as a source of energy, while the experiment group was fed with Feedbee, as a pollen substitute. The bee colonies, were almost similar as far as their strength and queen’s age (two years old queens). The following indicators were recorded and monitored: brooding rate, caped brooding cells per frame/per group and the respective honey production as well. At the end of the trial’s period, it was concluded that the use of Feedbee , had a remarkable effect on the number of frames with brood, contributing in the strenght of the bee colonies. During the main inspection in Spring, the supremacy of the group fed on Feedbee, over the one fed on Bee Food, was easily seen (62.18 cm 2 vs. 59.77cm 2 ) as far as the caped brood area/frame (cm 2 ), per P<0.05. Feeding the bee colonies with Feedbee, starting at the end of winter period, showed a slight effect on the quantity of produced honey per colony (as an average: 630g more honey per colony).